As Saudi forces celebrate their victory over armed militants in the Shia-populated city of Awamiyah, human rights groups, opposition politicians and government officials in Ottawa are trying to find out whether the Canadian-made armoured vehicles deployed by the Saudis were used to commit human rights abuses and what that would mean for Canada's lucrative defence ties with the ultra-conservative kingdom.

Radio Canada International reported in July that Canadian armoured personnel carriers (APCs) produced by Terradyne Armored Vehicles based in Newmarket, Ontario, were deployed by the Saudi security forces during the fighting in Awamiya in Saudi Arabia's restive Qatif region that has killed at least 20 people and forced the majority of the city's 30,000 residents to flee.

Videos posted on social media show Saudi soldiers celebrating and dancing in Awamiyah's devastated streets that look like scenes from Aleppo or Mosul. The videos also depict several Terradyne Gurkha APCs identified by military experts contacted by RCI.

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Calls to suspend defence exports to Saudi Arabia

The controversy with the use of Canadian Terradyne APCs comes barely a year after the Liberal government approved a $15-billion megadeal to supply Saudi Arabia with advanced Light Armoured Vehicles (LAVs) produced by another Ontario-based manufacturer.

RCI also reported last week about a 9-second video purporting to show LAV 25 vehicles produced by General Dynamics Land Systems in London, Ont. being deployed by Saudi forces. However, RCI has been unable to independently confirm that the video was in fact shot in the vicinity of Awamiyah.

There are no doubts, however, that Terradyne Gurkha APCs were used by Saudi forces in Awamiyah, said Adam Coogle, Middle East researcher with Human Rights Watch.

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The revelation that Canadian weapons may have been used in support of operations that allegedly targeted civilians have prompted the opposition and human rights groups to call on the Liberal government to suspend all weapons transfers to Saudi Arabia.

Canadian officials are working “with a real sense of urgency” to investigate the reports that Canadian-made military vehicles were being used by Saudi security forces in Awamiyah, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said Monday.

All throughout the fighting in Awamiyah, video footage posted by Saudi soldiers and Saudi Shia activists shows the Saudi troops using Terradyne APCs.

Coogle, however, said he has not seen any video evidence of Canadian APCs, which can be armed with machine guns mounted on the vehicle's turret, firing their weapons during the fighting.

"It's impossible for us to know for certain how the Canadian vehicles were used, to what extent they were used and whether or not they were used to commit human rights violations," Coogle said. "What we do know, based on photographic evidence and video evidence is that these vehicles were deployed to Awamiyah."

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It is the first time that use of the Canadian weapons has been traced to the Eastern Province, Coogle said.

"It's something that we suspect was going on for a while but now we know for sure," Coogle said.

'Excessive force'

Given that the Saudi forces had encountered fierce armed resistance, the use of armoured personnel carriers to protect their troops was probably appropriate, Coogle said.

"At the same time we also heard many-many accounts from individuals and residents of Awamiyah who claim that they believe that Saudi security forces used excessive force and ...